Method of bleeding slaughter animals



C. O. SCHMIDT, JR

METHQD OF "BLEEDING SLAUGHTER ANIMALS O'r'iigina'l Filed April 1,, 3:960

'3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. CARL QSCAR SCH/W07; JR

AJ'TORNE y 1964 c o. SCHMIDT, JR 3,132,374

METHOD OF BLEEDING SLAUGHTER ANIMALS Original Filed April 1, 1960 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. CARL OSCAR SCHMIDT; JR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,132,374 Patented May 12, 1964 3,132,374METHOD OF BLEEDING SLAUGHTER ANEVIALS Carl Oscar Schmidt, J12, Wyoming,Ohio, assignor to The Cincinnati Butchers Supply Company, Cincinnati,Ohio, a corporation of @hio Original application Apr. 1, 1960, Ser. No.19,258, new Patent No. 3,076,996, dated Feb. 12, 1963. Divided and thisapplication July 6, 1962, Ser. No. 208,026 4 Claims. (Cl. 17-45) Thepresent invention relates to a method of bleeding slaughter animalsafter sticking, and is a division of my co-pending patent application,Serial No. 19,258, filed April 1, 1960, now Patent No. 3,076,996, issuedFebruary 12, 1963.

Bleeding conveyors are employed to transfer stuck anl mals from oneprocessing station to another, in a production line system of meatprocessing. In the course of transfer, the bleeding conveyor is timed topermit a required period of bleeding in advance of scalding anddissection of the meat animal.

An object of the invention is to facilitate and expedite the slaughterof animals in a production line system of meat processing.

Another object is to minimize labor of handling meat animals in thecourse of processing.

A further object of the invention is to promote cleanliness andsanitation in the bleeding stage of meat processing.

Another object is to provide improved, highly serviceable apparatus forconveying animals during the bleeding process, resulting in substantialsavings of labor, time and expense, as well as floor space in thepacking plant.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means describedherein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved bleeding conveyor ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, and showinga stuck animal deposited there- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view takenon line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 8 indicates an elongate frame having oppositeend portions 10 and 12 carrying bearings 14 and 16 adapted to supportthe transverse shafts 18 and 20 of pairs of sprockets 22. and 24.Trained over the sprockets are the endless chains as and 28, the upperruns 30 and 32 of which extend lengthwise of the frame in spacedparallelism. The chains are driven in unison by the sprockets 2222 whichare fixed to shaft 18, the shaft being subject to continuous slowrotation in any suitable manner, as by means of a motor 34 driving aspeed reducer 36 coupled to shaft 18 at 3'8.

Spanning the chains 26 and 28 at intervals is a succession of slings 40,opposite ends 42 and 44 of which are secured to the conveyor chains atopposite sides of the conveyor frame. The slings preferably are flexibleof character, and should not be too tightly stretched across theconveyor chains, for it is desirable that the slings conform to someextent with the contour of the carcass placed thereon, as suggested byFIG. 3. Heavy chains have been found to serve quite satisfactorily asslings, although flexible straps or cables might be substitutedtherefor. The chain slings suspendingly support the carcass in theposition at which it was initially placed thereon, and the links byreason of their constant movement during operation of the conveyor, arelargely selfcleaning, as shown in FIG. 3. The distance between slingsshould be such that several slings support the same carcass placedthereon.

The frame of the conveyor may include three pairs of horizontal rails46, 48, 50', preferably in the tom of angle irons, supported by a numberof fame uprights 52 to which the rails are bolted or otherwise fixed.The rails '48 and 50 serve as tracks supporting, respectively, the upperand lower runs of the conveyor chains. Rails 46 may overlie the upperruns of the conveyors, and each such rail may carry a dependinglongitudinal rib 54 adapted to extend between the chain links for thepurpose of maintaining a predetermined spacing between the two upperruns of the conveyor chains irrespective of any weight carried by theslings. The lower rails 50 may be equipped with similar ribs 56, to keepthe lower runs in position upon the rails.

Frame members 58, 6-0 and 62 may be applied to the end portions of theframe sides to support the bearings 16 and 14. It may be noted that thebearings 1616 are desirably supported between frame members 58 and 60for adjustment lengthwise of the conveyor, adjustment screws 64 beingprovided for the purpose. The sides of the main frame may be maintainedin spaced parallelism by means of a series of cross braces 66.

Suspended from the rails 48-48 at the bolts 68 is a longitudinalbleeding trough 70, which extends substantially the full distancebetween the sprocket shafts 13 and 20, for collecting blood from animalssupported in movement by the slings. The trough may be provided with oneor more drainage out-lets 72.

In use, the bleeding conveyor is maintained in continuous operation, andat one end thereof a succession of animals is placed upon the slingsfollowing an insensitizing and sticking operation. The apparatus hereindisclosed makes it possible to place the animals upon the slings withoutlaborious turning of the animals crosswise of the direction of conveyormovement, as was common practice heretofore. Likewise, as the animalsreach the discharge end of the conveyor, no turning of the carcasses isnecessary in order to remove them from the conveyor and pass them on toa subsequent processing operation. The slings hold the carcasses in ahorizontal and prone position at all times, which assures maximumbleeding in such manner as to prevent undesirable splattering of bloodaround and about the conveyor apparatus, so that clean and sanitaryconditions may prevail at all times.

Use of the apparatus in practice has substantially reduced the laborinvolved in handling animals undergoing slaughtering, and hascontributed very materially to the maintenance of an orderly andsanitary procedure within the packing plant. The work of slaughteringthereby has been rendered much cleaner and more attractive to workers inthe industry, as working conditions have been desirably improvedthereby.

It is to be understood that the method of the present invention may bepracticed using apparatus other than that illustrated in the drawingsand as described herein, the aforesaid apparatus being merely exemplaryin nature, since the subject method may be practiced utilizing any meanscapable of supporting a slaughter animal, after sticking, in a proneposition with its legs hanging or dangling during the bleedingoperation.

What is claimed is:

1. In conjunction with a production line system of meat processing, themethod of transferring an animal from one processing station to anotherwhile bleeding after the insensitized animal has been stuck, said methodcomprising pronely suspending the animal by engaging the underside ofits body, with the animals legs hanging and dangling freely, and movingthe animal while so suspended, along a given path substantially parallelto the length of the animal, toward another station and maintaining theanimal in such pronely suspended position while being so moved and untilit is fully bled.

2. In conjunction with a production line system of meat processing, themethod of transferring an animal from one processing station to anotherwhile bleeding after the insensitized animal has been stuck, said methodcomprising pronely suspending the animal by engaging the underside ofits body at at least two locations thereon, with the animals legshanging and dangling freely, and moving the animal While so suspended,along a given path substantially parallel to the length of the animal,toward another station and maintaining the animal in such pronelysuspended position while being so moved and until it is fully bled.

3, In conjunction with a production line system of meat processing, themethod which consists in first sticking an insensitized animal, thensuspending the stuck animal in a prone position by engaging theunderside of the animals body at at least two locations thereon, withits legs hanging and dangling freely, and moving the animal while sosuspended, along a given path substantially parallel to the length ofthe animal, toward another station and maintaining the animal in suchpronely suspended position while being so moved and until it is fullybled.

4. In conjunction with a production line system of meat processing, themethod of transferring an animal from one processing station to anotherWhile bleeding after the insensitized animal has been stuck, said methodcomprising pronely suspending the animal by engaging the underside ofits body, with the animals legs hanging and dangling freely, and movingthe animal horizontally while so suspended, along a given pathsubstantially parallel to the length of the animal, toward anotherstation and maintaining the animal in such pronely suspended positionwhile being so moved and until it is fully bled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PRODUCTION LINE SYSTEM OF MEAT PROCESSING, THEMETHOD OF TRANSFERRING AN ANIMAL FROM ONE PROCESSING STATION TO ANOTHERWHILE BLEEDING AFTER THE INSENSITIZED ANIMAL BEEN STUCK, SAID METHODCOMPRISING PRONELY SUSPENDING THE ANIMAL BY ENGAGING THE UNDERSIDE OFITS BODY, WITH THE ANIMAL''S LEGS HANGING AND DANGLING FREELY, ANDMOVING THE ANIMAL